Nail holding disk for use in nailing machine



NAIL HOLDING DISK FOR usE 1N NAILING MACHINE Filed April s. 19e? G. P.HEILMAN Aprilv 14, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Urllll H UIIIIIIQIIMIIIIIIH urlW H. IIH H NNUU H/#HIIHHOV w n /A/ VE N TOR 650 RGE P. HE/L MAN' April14, 1970 G. P. HEILMAN 3,506,115

NAIL HOLDING DISK vFOR USE IN NAILING MACHINE Filed April 5, 1967 2Sheets-Sheet 2 /A/V 7' z GEORGE P. IL

HTTORANEKS United States Patent Oiice 3,506,115 Patented Apr. 14, 1970U.s. ci. 20g-s6 7 claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A nailing disk andfeed mechanism for pneumatic nailing guns. The nailing disk is providedin the form of a plate with a helical or spiral string of nails insertedthrough the plate and weakened portions surrounding the nail head inorder that the nail and surrounding material may be punched out from thenailing disk in the nailing operation. The feed mechanism supports thenailing disk and feeds the helical string of nails in sequence to adriving tube with means for advancing the nailing disk through a springhousing and ratchet arrangement to provide for automatic feeding andadvancement of the next nail after the driving operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the past nailing guns have been providedwhich have generally used nailing strips of various lengths in which thestrips of nails are arranged in a straight line and fed into the nailinggun. The nailing guns may be of one type or another, hydraulically orpneumatically operated, and operate in the usual fashion by forcefullydriving a driver against the nail head to drive the nail into a workpiece in various types of carpentry operations. Previously known nailingdevices have been subject to the objection and inconvenience ofrequiring new strips of nails, which are limited in size, due to theirstraight line positioning and reinsertion of the nailing strips as onestrip is used up, has been required, or, in the alternative, thestraight line strip may be coiled or fed out from an apparatus that iseither complicated or bulky in size. It is a feature of this inventionthat the nailing disk of a flat plate-like nature in which the nails arearranged in the form of a helix in the plane of the disk has beenprovided to save space and provide efliciency and simplicity and ease inoperation in the nailing mechanism employed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides a nailing plate inwhich the nails are in a helical string perpendicular to the plane ofthe disk. This arrangement of the nailing disk provides for spaceeconomy and ease in handling a unit of varying number of nails, whichcan be anywhere up to one hundred and even many more in number on asingle nailing disk. The helical coil of nails is arranged much as inthe fashion of a coiled string with each nail being separated from theadjacent nail in the string by a weakened border portion in thesupporting disk around it. In this fashion the nail can be punched outfrom the disk around the area of the weakened portion, and thesurrounding portion of the disk, as in the nature of a collar or thelike, is separated from the disk when the nail is driven.

The nailing disk is provided with a feed mechanism, which is designedfor connection with any available type of nailing gun. The gun portionforms no part of this invention and it will be understood that variousconventional pneumatic or hydraulic nailing guns may be employed. Evenspring loaded guns may be utilized. The disk feeding mechanism providesmeans for supporting the nailing disk underneath a spring housing andsupport device. The spring housing is provided with a ratchet and pawlarrangement whereby the housing may be wound up. when the nailing diskis connected to the feed mechanism. This provides for automatic feedingof the nailing disk and rotation of the disk as each succeeding nail isdriven to advance the next nail into a driving position in a nail ordrive tube device. In this manner the next nail to be driven is advancedunderneath and in registry with the usual reciprocable nailing hammer inthe driving tube. The next nailing portion of the disk abuts against aninner stop surface of the driving tube and is held in biased relationagainst it until the driving operation is performed. After the drivingoperation is performed, and the reciprocable hammer is withdrawn abovethe nailing disk, the spring loaded feed advancing mechanism causes thenailing disk to rotate and advance the next nail to be driven into thenailing tube Where it abuts against the stop surface to present the nextnail in registery with the reciprocable nailing hammer.

In the operation, the center of the nailing disk, which is supportedupon a shaft, moves toward the nailing tube by provision of a slottedguide arrangement in the support device. This guide arrangement providesfor advancing the nailing disk in the proper feeding relation.

The above features are objects of this invention and further objectswill appear in the detailed description which follows and will beotherwise apparent to those skilled in the art.

For the purpose of illustration of this invention there is shown in theaccompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof. It is to beunderstood that this example is for the purpose of illustration only andthat the invention is not limited thereto.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the nailing disk feed mechanism of thisinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a view in side elevation taken from the bottom of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the nailing disk and feed mechanism;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view in section taken on the line 4-4 of FIGUREl;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged View taken on the line 5 5 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged view taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged view taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged View taken on the line 8-8 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 9 is a top plan view of the nailing disk and feed mechanism takensimilarly to FIGURE 1 but on a reduced scale showing the relation of thenailing disk and the feed mechanism at a later stage in operation assome of the nails have been used reducing the size of the nailing disk;

FIGURE 10 is a top plan view of the nailing disk before the nails areinserted;

FIGURE 11 is an enlar-ged view in section taken on the line 11-11 ofFIGURE 10;

FIGURE l2 is a sectional view taken similarly to FIG- URE 11 but showingthe nails inserted in the disk;

FIGURE 13 is a view in side elevation of the pawl biasing spring;

FIGURE 14 is a top plan view of the spring;

FIGURE 15 is a view in elevation taken from the rear of the guide anddisk support tube;

FIGURE 16 is a view taken from the right side of the guide and supporttube;

FIGURE 17 is a view in section taken on the line 17-17 of FIGURE l5;

FIGURE 18 is a view in elevation taken from the right side of the naildriving tube;

FIGURE 19 is a View taken from the rear of the nail driving tube;

FIGURE 2G is a view in section taken on the line 20-20 of FIGURE 18;

FIGURE 21 is a bottom plan view of the spring housing; and

FIGURE 22 is a bottom plan view of the spring housing plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings, thenailing disk of this invention is generaliy identified by the referencenumeral 3= in FIGURE 1 and the feed mechanism is identified by thereference numeral 32. The feed mechanism is connected to a guide sleeve34, which it will be understood may be connected in any fashion to aconventional nailing gun. The guide sleeve in turn is provided with adrive tube guide 36. A conventional driving arm, which is in the form ofthe usual reciprocable hammer element 38 is shown at the top of thedriving tube in FIGURE 4.

The nailing disk is shown in fuller detail in FIG- URES 10, 11 and 12.As there shown, it is of generally planiform construction having anirregular keyway slotted opening 40 at the center with two dependingstud elements 42 to provide for guide relationship, and a reinforcedmeans to prevent damage to the disk. The nailing disk, which may be madeof cardboard, plastic, light metal, or other conventional material ofconstruction, is fabricated or cast to provide separate raised areas 44,which each receive an individual nail as shown in FIGURE l2. The grooves46, which run helicaliy on the top surface of the disk, deine oneboundary of the separate nailing area 44, While the series of generallyradial grooves 48 define the other sides of the raised nailing areas.Each of the raised nailing areas 44 is provided with an opening 50 toreceive a nail 52, as shown in FIGURE 12. These openings aid theinsertion of the nails, aithough it will be understood that the nailsmay be simply punched through the centers of each of the nail receivingareas.

The automatic feed mechanism 32 is best shown in FIGURES 4 through 9. Anadjustment bracket 56 is welded to the guide sleeve 34 and from it theother elements are supported. The bracket 56 is provided with a slottedopening 58, which receives a disk support shaft 60. The shaft 60 has anirregular enlarged head 62 which receives the mating slotted opening 40of the nailingl disk. The shaft 60 further passes through the adjustablebracket, and by means of a washer 64 and a handle 66, s connected to thebracket sliding relation. The handle 66 is threaded on to a threaded endportion of the shaft 60 to provide for the connection aforedescribed.

A spring housing mechanism, generally indicated by the reference numeral70, is supported from the adjustable bracket 56. The spring housing 70is of generally sleeve-like configuration as shown in FIGURES 4 and 21,and is provided with an inwardly extending ange 72. This inwardlyextending ange bears upon the support piate 74, which is supported tothe adjustment bracket by means of bolts 76 as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6.A ratchet plate 78, provided with a slotted opening 8G in registry withthe slotted opening 82 in the support plate, is positioned on top of thesupport plate and connected thereto by bolts 83.

The windup relation is provided for the spring housing 70 through pawls84, which rare pivoted through pins 86, connecting to the flange 72 ofthe spring housing. The pawls rest on top of the ange and mate with theteeth of the ratchet plate 78. A pawl biasing spring 87 shown in FIGURES13 and 14 urges the pawls into engagement with the ratchet plate. Aspring coil 88. is connected at one end to the shaft 6G, as best shownin FIGURE 8, and at an opposite end to the vertical Wall of the springhous- 4 ing through an opening 90 in the wall as best shown in FIGURE 4.

The nail driving tube 36 is best shown in FIGURES 18, 19 and 20. Asthere shown, it is of generally tubular construction of a rectangularcross section. It has a cut out portion 92, which receives the endportion of the next nail unit to be advanced into registry in the naitdriving tube. A slot 93 is provided tcreceive the shank of the nail. Awall surface 94 acts as a stop surface in the nail driving tube so thatthe end surface 96 of the nailing disk shown in FIGURE i0 abuts againstthis wall surface and cannot be advanced further. In this fashion thenail unit 98, likewise shown in FIGURE 10, is presented in registryunderneath the reciprocable hammer in the nail driving tube. The naildriving tube which acts as a nose-piece and is positionable upen thework surface, may be adjusted relative to the guide sleeve by means of afriction fit or other adjustment means to accommodate different sizes ofnails.

The guide sleeve 34 is best sho-wn in FIGURES 4, 5 and 15-17. As thereshown, it is of generally rectangular cross section to receive the naildriving tube 36. The guide sleeve has a cut out portion generallyindicated by the reference numeral 100, which receives the end of thenailing disk as shown in FIGURE 4. A struck out lip portion 102 extendsto one side of the guide sleeve and serves as a rest for the nailingdisk to provide for proper alignment in the feeding relationship.

OPERATION The nailing disk of this invention is very simply adapted foruse with the automatic feed mechanism. it will be understood that theautomatic feed mechanism can be connected to any conventional type ofnailing gun using a reciprocable rod-like driving arm or hammer whichoperates within the usual nailing gun bore. Examples of suchconventional nailing guns that can be employed are shown in HaleyPatents Nos. 2,867,086 and 3,150,488.

The automatic feed mechanism is first prepared for operation byinserting the nailing disk upon the shaft 60 by threading the keyed slot40 into and upon the parallel side head 62 of the shaft 60. The springhousing is then wound by turning it in a clockwise direction as 'viewedin FIGURE 1. The abutment of the nailing disk end 9:5 with the guidesleeve prevents the support shaft from turning. The lateral edge of thenailing disk is supported upon the rest 162 of the guide support 34, asshown in FIGURE 4, and the edge 96 of the nailing disk is biased againstthe stop surface 94 of the nail driving tube.

In this position the nailing disk is then ready for use and a nailingunit 98 of the disk is ready to be separated upon the operation of thenailing gun. When the nailing gun operates, the reciprocable hammer 38shown in FIG- l URE 4 will tear off the unit 98 with the centered nail52 by severing the nail supporting material around the weakened orgrooved area. In the nail driving operation, the hammer 38 serves as astop surface to prevent the nailing disk from feeding a fresh nail tothe nail driving tube. When, however, it is fully retracted to theposition shown in FIGURE 4, the nailing disk Will be automatically movedthe biasing force of the spring to move the next nailing area with thecentered nail into the nail driving tube and in abutment against thestop surface 94 of the tube.

The operation previously described is repeated in the nail drivingoperation as successive nails are driven. After each nail drivingoperation, a new nail unit is presented to the nail driving tube. As thedisk is used up it advances with the center of the nailing disk and theshaft 60, which supports the disk, from the position shown in FGURE 1 tothe position generally shown in FIG- URE 9. Thus, the shaft moves in theslotted areas provided in the adjustment bracket ratchet plate andsupport plate in order to effect a guided relation.

When the last nail has been used up, the nailing disk is disengaged anda new disk is inserted through the operation as previously described.

It will be understood that various changes and modications may be madewithin this invention as will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art. Thus it will be understood that for purpose of example theinvention has been described vwith respect to the use of nails but itwill be appreciated that staples, studs, spikes and other fasteners areincluded within the scope of this invention. Such changes andmodifications are within the scope and teaching of this invention asdefined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A nail driving disk for use in nailing guns, said disk comprising aplate-like member supporting a plurality of nails perpendicularlytherefrom and aligned in the form of a helix, each of said nails beingsupported by a shearable boundary in order that the nails may be punchedout in sequence within a supporting area of the disk.

2. The nail driving disk of claim 1 in which the shearable boundary isdefined by generally concentric inner and outer paths bounded bygenerally radial end paths.

3. The nail driving disk of claim 1 in which the nail at the outer endof the helix is surrounded by a supporting area of the disk having alcurved outer edge and a generally radial end edge.

4. The nail driving disk of claim 1 in which the nails are arranged in ahelix of a plurality of revolutions.

5. The nail driving disk of claim 1 in which the nails are arranged in ahelix of a plurality of revolutions, the

shearable boundary is defined by generally concentric inner and outerpaths bounded by generally radial end paths.

6. The nail driving disk of claim 1 in which the nails are arranged in ahelix of a plurality of revolutions, the shearable boundary is definedby generally concentric inner and outer paths bounded by generallyradial end paths, the nails in each adjacent revolution having a commongenerally concentric shearable path serving as an outer boundary for theinnermost revolution and an inner boundary for the outermost revolution.

7. The nail driving disk of claim 1 in lwhich the disk has an irregularopening adapted to cooperate with a support shaft having a mating headand projecting means on said disk adapted to bear against said head in adisk feeding operation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 332,190 12/1885 Dickson 85-171,405,357 1/ 1922 Tilfany 206-66 1,556,240 10/ 1925 Morrissey 206-13,165,968 l/l965 Anstett -17 DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner U.S.C1. X.R. 227-137

